Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-02-16

Authors, Actors and Statesmen Paying
Men to Read for Them-Gould, Field
and VanderbiIt-Laws and Statistics.
Some Curious Orders.
Every editor knows the man whose at
tention has Just been called to an article
in the paper. He is very numerous.
Doubtless editors have long wondered if
there were not some people in the world
who devoted their time to calling the at
tention Of other people to newspaper
articles. Perhaps this first suggested to
n New York journalist the idea Of estab-
fishing bureau for the accommodation
Of persons who desire TO have their atten-
ton called to what the newspapers say
about them. AT all events he did start
such concern and it is now running in
full blast. He employed men to read the
papers, for folks who don't have very
high opinion Of the press never look at
the papers and don't care what the papers
say about them, and these men keep
lot of boys on the jump all day pasting
and mailing the clippings. The list of
subscribers Is long and includes people
in every profession and line of business.
The bureau receives all the daily, weekly
and monthly publications of this country
and the principal papers of foreign
countries. and the readers go through
about 2,000 every day
ACTORS AND AUTHORS.
Actors. of course. are patrons of the
bureau. and although they are notoriously
vain their vanity has a business side.
Newspaper fame is part of their stock
in trade, and notices have an actual value
to them. The more al actor is talked
about the better his chances of getting
engagements. And then an actor wants
to know what the critics say of his work
in order TO be able to correct his faults
II he brings ont new play il is important
that he should know how il is received
Artists, who are peculiarly sensitive Il
criticism. want all the notice of their pic
lures and information about sales, exhibi
tions. galleries and new collections
Authors are liberal patrons of the bureau
Some of them want personal notices anC
criticisms, but most Of them want article.
on topics useful to them in compiling new
books
A great many congressman diScove
through the bureau how their votes
speeches and bills have affected publit
opinion in their districts : Foreign minis
ters get important information about tn,
countries TO which they are accredited
trade relations, etc. During the Cutting
imbroSGo. Senior Don Romero. Mexican
minister, was supplied With $50 article
on the affair, and so obtained n complete
epitOme of American, English and Frencl
newspaper opinions which were very valu
able 10 him. The civil service commits
| sion is n good customer and gets much in
| teresting reading matter, not always of
| gratifying nature
Jay Gould is profoundly Indifferent t
newspaper talk and hasn't the slightes
| desire to see what is said about him. Bu
| his partner, Washington E. Connor, is
! subscriber. and if the little king of Wal
| street does not know everything that i
said by the press and public speaker
about him and his doings il is because b
| can't read. Cyrus w Field has his atten
| tion called to articles that interest hin
| and doubtless has accumulated mass o
| valuable information about movements
revolutionary history, dynamite an
| patriotism. When William H. Wander
| hilt died the bureau furnished 10 tn
family 5000 obituaries and editorials o.
the millionaire, end strange TO say, ther
| were DO rough or i'll natured ones in tn
lot, which must have been pleasant SUI
prise to the family
] laws aNp STATtsTITS